::How I Met My Man::

It’s true. I was wearing a black t-shirt (who has black t-shirts?) and orange Soffees (like 10 years after they went out of style). And no, it wasn't Halloween. It was August. We were playing Ultimate Frisbee and captain’s pick landed us on the same team where we totally hit it off. Fast friends! In typical August fashion, we weren’t covered in sweat at all and every hair was totally in place. Basically, I was definitely at my best.

Fast forward to October. I went MIA after we met. I got Lyme’s Disease and was really super sick. But I noticed through texts and email invites that this John guy was starting to hang out with my friends. We’ve met, he hangs with my friends… we’re on the right path. So by the time our trick or treat festival at church rolls around, mister thing parks by me and is walking in but totally pretends he doesn’t see me. Okay, whatever. I just need to work harder. But we see each other again at a hole in the wall dive, each with our own group of friends. He comes over and talks to one of my friends but totally ignores me again. Alright, I can play this game. So I spent the evening twirling across the dance floor with another guy. Something for him to think about.

Now it’s November and my pal is throwing a Friendsgiving party. I’m still sick and feel miserable the day of the party but I know this guy is going and I’m determined to make it. I do my hair – which is no small feat… have you seen this mane? And I head over. Homeboy finally ‘introduces’ himself.

Errrrrr….. rewind…. Remember that black and orange Frisbee wear? Yeah, the only reason I know what I was wearing when we met is because he mentioned it once we started dating. BUSTED! I knew he was paying attention.

We spent December planning holiday party after holiday party so we could invite each other to said events. Exhausting. Just admit you like each other and go on a date already. We are both introverts with extrovert qualities so we could hang for a while but we would eventually find ourselves overwhelmed and somehow leaning on each other for a way to dodge the awkward small talk with other people at these parties.

Christmas comes and goes and I get a call. I’m ordering a personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut (right? Amen!) on my way back to Dallas after spending Christmas with my family in Houston and he’s at his parent’s house packing to head home, with a glass of wine in hand. That’s important. The wine may have nudged his mother and sister to meddle in his business which lead to pushing him to call me. He made the ask and our first date was the next day, December 27th. We met at a pub for happy hour and he made a really inappropriate joke about the way I was peeling the label off of my beer bottle.

I’ll never live the next part down. The next day, my boss gave me four box tickets to see the Transiberian Orchestra that night. If you haven’t seen their Christmas show, you haven’t lived. It is by far one of my favorite holiday experiences and I was so excited to see them again. I invited another guy. Oh dear. Okay, so to be fair…. John boy and I already had plans for the 29th. The 29th was my birthday and a bunch of us were getting together. Then, we were all leaving the next day for the lake to start some New Year’s festivities. I mean, we couldn’t go on our first date and then see each other for the next 5 nights in a row, right?

How cute is this?! Our very first picture together from my birthday party at The Londoner, my favorite pub at the time in Dallas. Different location from our first date.

Okay, so in the mix of all that is “John”, there is work boy. Work boy and I dated for a couple months earlier in the year. Super casual- a date here or there. But the flirt game was strong and the whole office had us pegged. But it never went anywhere. Then as my luck would have it all those months later, work boy and John boy start pursuing me at the same time. Hard. So I did what any girl would do. I dated both of them. Until one day, a co-worker knew where I was going to be hanging out that night and told work boy to head over. John boy and work boy got to meet that night. Alright, so now I’m busted.

But I wasn’t committed to either. I didn’t hide them from each other. I just didn’t really mention them to each other. I’m a good girl and I have two great options in front of me and it was fair that I get to explore it.

Anyway, clearly John and I had the stronger connection and a good friend that witnessed the whole thing wisely told me that if I ever wanted to see John again, I had to make the next move. He was right... and I did. Work boy went on to meet his now wife at a Super Bowl party that year. But let’s be clear about this ‘now wife’ thing. They got married last month. This was seeeeeven years ago. I win.

That's not all... New Year’s is the best part. So we’re at the lake and it’s almost midnight. All eyes are on us - no one knows we’ve been on a date but they are totally catchin the vibe. I make my way across the room because no way am I assuming anything and here he comes with a glass of champagne for a toast. A few minutes later, the ball drops, he leans in for a kiss and …. I turn my head. Ya’ll, I promise to all that is good and right in this world that I didn’t see it coming. I thought we were hugging. Like most hormonal 25 year olds do on New Year’s. Duh. My gal pal riiiipped my arm off pulling me into the other room where she dramatically informed me that she missed her NY kiss because she was watching me miss mine. What? Next thing I know, John has my hand and is leading me out the door where not two seconds behind the door closing has he laid the biggest kiss on me. Whoa!

<insert a month or two>

He then tells me he is quitting his lucrative job, is taking an entreprenueral risk, moving to Austin and wants me to join him. I’m sorry, what? You’re unemployed, unstable and want me to move with you. Okay, sure! By May, we were both in Austin.

I would say that’s the end but I think the proposal warrants a little here.

I’ve moved for this guy, right? So naturally, my friends are pestering me about getting married. I was fed up one September day and it was clearly showing. He asked me what was wrong…. so I told him. To.this.day… he swears I was pressuring him to propose. Um, I’m sorry. No. You asked a question and I answered. What he didn’t know until recently, actually…. I wasn’t really sure I wanted to marry him by that point. Had he asked me in that very conversation, I know I would have said no. Not because I didn't want to. It was just scary. In fact, if you had woken me up on the day he did propose and told me he was going to, I would have told you I would say no.

November rolls around... again. It’s now Thanksgiving weekend and we are headed for a hike that Friday. I had a vision that both of our families would have lunch together since they were all in town but over the phone, he tells me his parents can’t. I got mad and was a bit snippy about it. Don’t worry, he was in the car with two of his best friends driving around so they could give him the pre-proposal pep talk. I’m on speaker and they hear the whole mess. So he rolls up with Starbucks, which I don’t even acknowledge or drink because I’m being rude on purpose (fortunately, I've matured a little since then. Seems that doesn't bode well in marriage). We get to our little hike and it dawns on me that he is wearing a button up shirt, designer jeans and leather loafers. I’m in a long sleeve-t, I’m not sure I brushed my teeth and the hair was a friggin mess. And it hits me, something is about to happen.

Yup, John boy proposes and in my heart I knew it was a resounding yes! All the yeses.

And in case you’re wondering, we had lunch with both of our parents, our siblings and our two best friends that day. I have since apologized for being a grump… but only because I was on speaker phone and got caught (I kid).